Little Feet – A Heartfelt Essay

A dear old friend once said to me that our default thoughts are consumed by our relationships with people. And he should know, he has a PhD in Psychology behind his name and 30 years of research under his belt. I often remind myself of this when I feel anxiety over something that, in the grande scheme of my life, just doesn’t matter.

I like building wealth and talking about money and investments. I like helping other people find their own financial path. I like opening up minds to the possibility that working until they’re old and feeble doesn’t have to be their only option. I like publishing new financial posts that chronicle our family’s trek out of the W2 trap. I like interacting with Twitter followers and sharing interesting things on Facebook. I like ALL of these things. I like them a lot. But I don’t love them. I don’t love them at all.

The other night as I watched my daughter sleeping next to me, I became fully aware that my friend is speaking the truth in volumes with his statement. I realized that I do everything I do to make the lives of those around me better, especially my one and only child. In the end, it won’t matter how much money I leave in my bank account. What will matter is how much love I leave in her heart.

Then I realized something else. I’m not chasing money. I’m not chasing financial independence, freedom, or solvency. I’m not chasing a bigger house or a balance sheet.